Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
by devoted2clois
Summary: Booth is called back to fight in Iraq. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Just a short one-shot. B


**I know, I know. I should be updating my other stories but this just would not leave me alone. HAPPY EASTER FOR SUNDAY EVERBODY!! Eat lots of chocolate and be happy :D**

Booth re-read the letter in his hand for the seventh time in the past five minutes, hoping somehow, when he read it, it would be different. But each time it was the same. Not a single letter changed. Booth span his phone in his hand, his thumb ready to press one to speed dial Brennan. Just as he was about to press the 'call' button, the woman of the moment walked through his office door.

"Good evening Booth." Brennan greeted him as she sat down on one of his chairs.

"Hey Bones." Booth threw the envelope down on his desk, put his hands behind his head and lent back on his chair. "What are you doing here?"

"We have an appointment with Sweets, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah I remember just, lost track of time." Booth picked up the envelope and slipped it in his suit pocket. "Let's get jiggy with it Bones." Booth stood up and ushered Brennan out of the door.

"I don't know what that means."

~*~

Booth tapped his knee and stared at Sweets. Brennan bit her bottom lip and studied Sweets and Booth.

"Soooo…" Brennan bit the inside of her cheek.

"Agent Booth wants to tell you something." Sweets blurted out. Booth looked fiercely at Sweets.

"You want to tell me something Booth?" Brennan looked over at Booth.

"Yeah but…not here…I wanted to tell you, you know when we're alone." Booth explained.

"You can tell me now" Brennan pressed.

"I don't want to tell you in front of a twelve year old." Booth ran his hands down his cheeks and through his hair. He figured he would have to tell her sooner or later…so he went for sooner. Booth buried his face in his hands and mumbled "they've called me back."

"Called you back to what?" Brennan took one of Booth's hands and held it in hers. Booth reached down to his pocket, pulled out the envelope and handed it to Brennan. She opened it and read it. As she got further down her eyes widened and she shook her head repeatedly. "No, no this is a mistake. They've sent this to the wrong person."

"It's not a mistake Bones."

"Yes it is!" Brennan yelled. She stood up and paced the room. "They're not taking you away…you're not going back there."

"I have to Bones!" Booth stood up "it says compulsory, meaning I **have **to go."

"I know what compulsory means Booth." Brennan huffed. "Why do you have to go back."

"I don't know Bones." Booth shook his head and sat back down. He patted the cushion next to him and Brennan sat back down next to him. "I don't know why I have to go, but I don't really have a choice."

"You can't go Booth. Last time you were in Iraq you almost got killed." Brennan explained "and I don't want you to die."

"This is an interesting development. Now Dr. Brennan how-" Sweets began saying.

"Just but out Sweets! You are not going to analyse this. Ok!" Booth yelled. "Come on Bones." Booth stood up and took Brennan's hand. Together they walked out the door, leaving Sweets alone with his notes.

~*~

_**Later that week at the airport…**_

Booth stood next to Brennan in his army uniform. She didn't say anything during the trip to the airport. Come to think of it…she had barely said anything to Booth all week. An announcement came over the loudspeaker announcing that Booth's flight was boarding. Booth looked down at Brennan.

"I- I have to go now Bones." Booth stuttered.

"I know." Brennan replied avoiding eye contact with him. With out even thinking Booth pulled Brennan into his arms and hugged her. "Don't get killed." She mumbled into his chest.

"I'll try not to." Booth tried to joke.

"I'm serious Booth…I don't want to loose you."

"You won't loose me." A thought came to Booth. "And I'm not leaving you, I would never leave you."

"I know you wouldn't Booth." Brennan went up on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek. She fumbled with her mother's ring on her finger and then pulled it off. Brennan reached behind Booth's neck and undid the chain around his neck. She slipped the ring on and it slid down next to his dog tags. Without a word Brennan put the chain back around his neck.

"Bones I can't take that. It's your mother's" Booth said.

"Please…just take it." Brennan insisted, tears threatening to spill.

"Ok." Booth said sadly. A second announcement announced final boarding. "Bye Bones." Booth leant down and kissed Brennan on the cheek…then he was gone.

~*~

Brennan glanced at her calendar…2 April 2010. 6 months, 2 weeks and 5 days since Booth had left. 6 months, 2 weeks and 4 days since Brennan realized just how much she loved Booth. Just how much she needed him and how much she wanted him home, home to her. 3 days until Booth came home.

~*~

Brennan fell asleep waiting at the terminal. Yes it was completely irrational, but she had to be there early. Ok so she was over 8 hours early…and it was 4 in the morning. But she just couldn't help herself. In a mere 8 hours Booth would be back.

~*~

Booth stepped out of the plane and crossed the tarmac with his army buddies. He carried his pack over his left shoulder and was limping slightly. Booth walked through the terminal, shaking hands with people who lined waiting to greet them. At the end of the line he saw a woman smiling radiantly at him. The woman who he missed dearly.

~*~

Booth smiled and waved at Brennan who eagerly waved back. Once he got to her, he possessively wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. Brennan clutched at his shirt like her life depended on it.

"Thank God you're ok Booth." Brennan mumbled into his chest.

"I thought you didn't believe in God." Booth pulled back and smiled at Brennan.

"I don't. It's completely irrational but" Brennan cut off mid sentence "I'll just shut up." Booth pulled his chain off from around his neck and put it around Brennan's.

"Booth don't" Brennan shook her head but Booth ignored her.

"See that-" Booth pointed to the cross on his chain "that kept me safe. And these" he pointed to his dog tags "reminded me who I was, and what I was to do. But this" he wrapped his fingers around Brennan's ring "showed me that I had someone to fight for, to go back to and to keep safe." Booth dipped his head and kissed Brennan sweetly. "It told me to stay safe" another kiss "it told me to think rationally" yet another kiss "it told me to think with my brain sometimes" another kiss "it told me someone was thinking about me, and it told me that, that somebody loved me."

"Booottthhh" Brennan playfully pushed him in the chest "I was meant to tell you that I loved you before you told me that I loved you."

"Oh I'm sorry Bones…maybe you should just tell me for clarification." Booth joked.

"That is very reasonable." Brennan nodded. "I love you Booth." Brennan wrapped her arms around Booth's neck, he thought she was going to kiss him, but instead she hugged him close.

"I love you too Bones" Booth whispered in Brennan's ear "more than you'll ever know."

"I don't know Booth…I know quite a lot."

"That you do Bones, that you do."

**Thanks for reading guys :D I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review on your way out.**


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